2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
I am led to continue discussing Satan’s tactics, the ones he uses to keep us separated from God and from each other. We can see some of God’s power to break down the barriers humans erect under Satan’s sway in EPH 2: 14-16. “For Christ Himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With How own body He broken down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with Himself, in this way making peace. By His death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross He united both races into one body and brought them back to God.” I know I keep repeating this next citation, but it is because it paints such a beautiful metaphorical picture for us of the “koininea” relationship that Christ, through His death on the cross, has forged. EPH 2: 20-23, “You too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the Cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself. He is the One Who hold the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. In union with Him, you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God’s lives through His Spirit.” Note there is no mention of Satan’s presence in this description or anywhere in the description of the new Jerusalem found in REV 21 & 22. That’s an important reminder to us that he will be defeated.
Once we are saved by repenting and coming to faith in Christ, we are then accepted into God’s own family. Christ is described as our “Brother,” especially in RO 8, where we are told He is the “first among many brothers” to be resurrected and to rule. Again in that same chapter, we are told we will be “joint-heirs” with Him to God’s Kingdom and will rule beside Him [RO 8: 17 & 29]. Once again, where is Satan in this promise? He’s nowhere to be seen. In fact, the Lord wants us to know exactly where Satan and his followers will end up and tells us so in REV 19: 20b-21 and 20: 10. “The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Their armies were killed by the sword [truth] that comes out of the mouth of the One Who was riding the horse; and all the birds ate all they could of their flesh…then the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown; and they will be tormented day and night forever.” We already know from IS 65: 1-2 that God is eager for us to seek Him out and always has been. He doesn’t want spiritual death in the lake of fire and sulfur to be our fate any more than any parent would want to see his child be destroyed.
We need also to understand another important difference between our Lord and the enemy who tempts us to be separated from Him. Satan is always doing what he can to change his tactics, to be sly, to deceive us, to tempt us, to lie to us, to take different forms to confuse us. God is does not do this. JAS 1: 17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows.” HE 13: 8 reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” In my experience the most successful parents are the ones who make God a Co-Partner in their marriage, who present their children with a few well-chosen rules, and who enforce those rules with consistency and fairness. They are the parents who have good two-way communication with their children, teach their children to love God, and bring them up to love God’s word. That is the kind of Parent our Father is with us. Satan is nothing like that at all. Satan is only interested in what he can get for himself. He is selfish, arrogant, uncaring, and angry. God is the opposite of that.
As parents, grandparents, teachers, and relatives, we are challenged to examine our relationships with our children-to compare them to the example God and His Son set for us. If we find ourselves wanting, then the Lord commands us to recognize our errors and gives us the opportunity to correct them. It is essential that we don’t buy into Satan’s lies that we can never overcome the sin he tempts us into and by doing so, come closer to God. Satan tries to tell us we are worthless, and yet, we are what God made us in GN 1: 27 & 2: 23, “created in the image of God…bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh.” Satan repeats the message, “You can’t, you can’t.” God, through the Scriptures, reveals that to be a giant lie. We can, if we are willing to endure in our faith, come closer and closer to our Creator and to the warm glow of His love. We can and will defeat the enemy. We can be better people than we are and take that hard road that leads to eternal life! Our bodies are, as we are told in 1 COR 6: 19, “Temples of the Spirit Who was given to us by God.”
PRAYER: O Lord, long ago in Jeremiah’s time, You expressed Your love for Your people in JER 30: 10-11. “My people, do not be afraid, people of Israel, do not be terrified. I will rescue you from that faraway land [referring to Babylonia], from the land where you are prisoners. You will come back home and live in peace; you will be secure, and no one will make you afraid. I will come to you and save you. I will destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not destroy you. I will not let you go unpunished; but when I punish you, I will be fair. I, the Lord, have spoken.” We know that what happened in OT times is a foreshadow of what is to happen in the future. We also know that You have grafted in branches from the wild olive tree [Gentiles who have come to faith] on the cultured olive tree [believing Israel-RO 11: 16-25]. That is why we can take Jeremiah’s words in a broader sense to include Your great plan of sacrificing Christ on the cross to render impotent Satan’s plan to lead us all to destruction. Our rescue from a “faraway land” comes in the form of being brought closer to You and overcoming Satan’s tactics. Our comfort comes from the words of PS 56: 4, “I praise God for His word. I trust God, so I am not afraid.” David reminds us in PS 31: 24, “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” You alone, Dearest Abba, have the power to “wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” [PS 51: 2]. That is why we place our trust in and rely on You. We are Your children, and today, we dedicate ourselves to confessing our sin and listening with eagerness for Your commands. We love You, Lord, and consecrate ourselves to obedience and holy living. We humbly offer You our adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, honor, glory, trust, obedience, praise, and utmost thanks for Your presence and leadership in our lives. In Christ’s name, amen.
In tomorrow’s message I am led to discuss our adoption as God’s children and God’s response to it. Dear Ones, we can take comfort that once we become His children, our Lord never abandons us. There have been times when He has allowed us to be punished, but it was always to affect a mid-course correction that puts us back on the path to eternal life. It was never for any evil reason. Even in our greatest hour of pain, suffering and loss at Satan’s hand, our Father will never abandon us. Our main concern is not losing sight of the love He has for us and staying on course in obeying His commands. We can count on God, and He is counting on us. He provides us with everything we need to come up against Satan and win the victory. His greatest desire is that we should soon be brought to an eternal life of joy and fellowship with Him. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn